You aren't forced. It is the crazy App developers who won't keep around the old versions that work on old iOS versions of their Apps. Some do, and those allow you to keep your old iOS, and hence the older Mac OS X that syncs with it. Those that don't that you want to keep up with are the ones who need to be informed their procedures don't help you. Those who choose to buy a newer device should expect to have to upgrade, as there may be new features that only new software can contend with.

Now granted, if Apple only offers you a new iPhone in replacement of one you dropped, cracked, or got waterlogged, you also have your own clumsiness to deal with, but you could also argue the design of the older phone could have been better to not crack or be water logged. There are plenty older iPhones out there on the market that work with older iOS. You just have to shop around and learn which those are.

yet, when you do inform yourself by looking up specifications and System Requirements on the Apple web pages - hey, it turns out the information can't be relied upon

Apple took a month to update and correct their Specifications of the iPad 2 - which if they had done so from the beginning of introducing iOS 7 a lot of people would have been spared a lot of aggravation and wasting time

You chose to download the iOS. Nobody took a jackhammer to your door and threatened you with a weapon to download the iOS. You could have hit cancel at anytime. When you download any update, the risk of operating systems going out of sync with obsolete machines grows. Apple very clearly in 2006 started moving to Intel only Macs. You've had 7 years to get ready for that. And that was a year and a half BEFORE the first iPhone was even released. The moment you steadfastly refused to get newer machines than the phone you were about to sync to, you ran the risk with each new iOS of the iOS making your computer obsolete. Also, Apple has a vintage and obsolete computers knowledgebase article:

Are all declared obsolete, before iOS 7 was released. So when you went to click download, there was evidence. Nobody told you that you had to download iOS 7. An App developer may have because they wanted you to see a new feature. Apple simply said you could update if you wanted to. You have the option to turn off software updates on your iPhone's settings.

I agree Apple could have gotten the iOS system requirements information up properly sooner. But as I say, the the vintage article if you follow its history shows everyone who has a PowerPC Mac has been living on borrowed time for 7 years. They can still sync to older phones, iPads, and iPod Touches, just not the ones that have been updated to the latest iOS.

And you could probably see if your phone carrier is willing to consider the lack of correct information sufficient grounds for you to get an older phone, ipad, or iPod Touch in exchange registered.

And there is no reason why people with PowerPC Macs can't be happy in the present day. When you choose to run something old, you just have to recognize all the peripherals and software may just have to be old too, until you can afford something newer.

Martin, you didn't start this thread. I did. The thread has been beaten to death. Best way is to spend the $19.99 to upgrade to 10.6., then updating iTunes from there. And don't bother arguing with A Brody. He's a pain to deal with...it's nice he's sharing his knowledge, but he is being very

I managed to avoid a similar problem on an iPad2 in terms of iOS7, which I refuse to install because it requires iTunes11. With all due respect, iTunes 11 absolutely ***** compared to iTunes10, chiefly because in Apple's infinite wisdom they decided to remove the Cover Flow view option that was a fantastic piece of the GUI and part of what made iTunes their "rockstar" application.

No explanation or reaction from Apple of any kind ever regarding what prompted the dropping of Cover Flow, really arrogant and bad treatment of loyal customers to just think they can take an absolute total silence on removal of a feature, why so secretive?

Why not provide some sort of explanation or better yet just restore the darn Cover Flow view that thousnads of people have been asking for. Not possible apparently, way too important for Apple to just maintain total secrecy and silence and not set any sort of crazy precedant like actually responding to customer questions or issues.

This has caused me not to buy an iPad mini, because that would have iOS7 preinstalled and would then necessitate the "upgrade" to iTunes 11 in order to sync the device.

So in this case the corporate geniuses and beancounters shot themselves in the foot, this ploy resulted in the loss of an iPad mini sale and I'm sure many more with others who have the same issue. Of course they will grin and pat themselves on the back and reassure each other that they've done the smart thing, as still many more people will be forced into hardware upgrades (the non-intel Mac users in this thread) which will result in far more profit.

Or will it? As a previous post said, some people will draw the line and move on to Android mobile devices or Windows 7/8 computers just be done with this force fed BS.

With all due respect to the Tech Heads here, the normal Apple user is not going to check a list of older devices that may or may not work with an upgrade; especially when your device keeps telling you to do this upgrade. However, Apple could have easily warned customers with iPhone 4 and 4S's that the update would mean any MacBook they had with 10.5.8 would no longer sync with their iPhone after the upgrade. From what I've seen, this IOS7 upgrade to the iPhone 4 series should never have been done. With all the problems I've seen, it could not have been an oversight. This was a calculated move to sell new equipment; otherwise they would have had fixes in place by now, or the ability to go back to the ios6 fw. This is the type corporate conceit that drove many companies from the top to the bottom very quickly.

We spent money we didnt have on a Macbook 4 years ago for my Daughter going to college. She graduated last june, and her Macbook 10.5.8 will not sync with her iPhone 4. She cant afford a new Mac, and she can't back up her info unless she uses iCloud. Really Apple?

Now, is there anything we can do to update her Macbook so her iPhone 4 will sync? I guess we would have to be able to upgrade the iTunes to 11 in her MacBook, can that be done. I do not know hich MacBook she has, but it does have the 10.5.8 and we bought it in August 2009.

Having the same problem as all of you guys. My iphone 4S will be the last apple phone I ever buy. I am also a recording artist thinking of upgrading to the latest imac pro. Don't think I will be going with another apple computer either.

Must be nice to be a superior thinking individual. The problem with Apple is that they have grown too big for their britches. One day people like you and companies like Apple are going to learn the lesson of compassion and understanding. Unfortunately it wont be soon enough.

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